U.S. winter wheat condition was rated 49 percent good to excellent as of Sunday, April 20, up from 45 percent last week, according to USDA NASS’ latest Crop Progress report of the year released on Monday.

Oklahoma's Winter wheat conditions rated 44 percent good to excellent, 37 percent fair, and 19 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 39 percent good to excellent, 44 percent fair, and 17 percent poor to very poor.

Alternately, our neighbors also saw improvements in wheat conditions - Kansas has their wheat crop rated 47% good to excellent versus 41% last week. Meanwhile, Texas wheat conditions rated 31 percent good to excellent, up from 27 percent last week.

Pasture and range conditions rated 41 percent good to excellent, 37 percent fair, and 22 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 36 percent good to excellent, 43 percent fair, and 21 percent poor to very poor.

Range and pasture conditions in Texas rated 24 percent good to excellent, 34 percent fair, and 42 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 23 percent good to excellent, 38 percent fair, and 39 percent poor to very poor.

The vision of the Oklahoma Beef Council is to be a positive difference for Oklahoma's farming and ranching families and the greater beef community, and its mission is to enhance beef demand by strengthening consumer trust and exceeding consumer expectations. 

To learn more, visit www.oklabeef.org. Also, don't forget to like its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oklabeef for stories on Oklahoma's ranching families and great beef recipes. 

And Check out this video below that helps you learn more about the Beef Checkoff- .

Attendees at the Chickasha Wheat forage and field day received an update on the current disease situation in Oklahoma’s wheat crop from Dr. Meriem Aoun, OSU small grains pathologist. While recent rainfall has increased the potential for fungal diseases, Dr. Aoun reported generally low levels of disease at this stage.

“So I checked during the plot tour. We are seeing some low levels of leaf spotting diseases, so I saw some symptoms of Septoria tritici blotch, and I think that’s normal due to the rain that we got lately,” Dr. Aoun explained.

Reflecting on the challenges faced by Oklahoma wheat growers this season, Dr. Aoun highlighted the fluctuating weather patterns that have impacted the crop. “It started dry in the fall to plant that early in the season, and for the growers to get that forage. Then we had all the rain, followed by a dry spring, which reduced the potential for good forage. And now we’re getting a lot of rain, so it’s changing. The weather is changing, and that’s definitely affecting what we see in terms of diseases as well.”

Exploring Smart E-Tags: The Future of Cattle Tracking Technology

A professor of precision livestock management at the School of Medical and Applied Sciences at Central Queensland University in Australia, Mark Trotter, has been researching smart e-tags, which are an emerging technology in the beef cattle industry.

Trotter was a speaker at the recent Oklahoma Beef Cattle Summit in Ada, and Oklahoma Farm Report’s Stevie White interviewed him prior to his presentation. Our BeefBuzz with Ron Hays is featuring comments from that conversation.

Trotter’s research team in Australia has been exploring options for utilizing the data from the tags and converting it into meaningful information to help cattle producers increase profitability, sustainability, or efficiency.

“There is a whole range of different applications that are going to fall out of this particular technology when it is fully mature,” Trotter explained. “Everything from basic stuff, like knowing that your cows are in the paddock that you put them in, and there is a whole other range of more advanced applications.”

This week, our coverage of the 2025 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists continues with Agricultural Production competitor Hayden Hatfield of the Stigler FFA chapter representing the Southeast Area.

“My project is Coal Valley Game Farm in Stigler, Oklahoma,” Hatfield explained. “We breed, produce, market, sell and ship game fowl all over the United States. I have several different breeds.”

Hatfield has always wanted to raise livestock of some sort, but didn’t have the means to start with larger animals when he first began. The size, hardiness, startup cost, inputs, and market dynamics of game fowl fit his budget better.

Hatfield’s FFA career began in his freshman year of high school, and he wasn’t fully convinced it was what he needed to be involved in, as his parents hadn’t been members. He initially joined for the opportunity to compete in skeet shooting.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency fuel waiver allowing the sale of E15 gasoline — gasoline blended with 15% ethanol — nationwide during the summer driving season. By doing so, EPA will keep E15 on the market, giving consumers more options across the nation. This is consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order Declaring a National Energy Emergency, directing the EPA to consider issuing emergency waivers to allow for year-round E15 sales. 

“President Trump’s commitment to farmers and the Renewable Fuels Standard has been a cornerstone of his leadership. In my confirmation hearing, I pledged to establish certainty when it came to the sale of E15 year-round. Promises made, promises kept,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. 

“President Trump is committed to lowering energy prices by unleashing American energy production, and it all starts with U.S. farmers. This move to allow the summer sale of E-15 will provide immediate relief to consumers, provide more choices at the pump, and drive demand for corn grown, processed, and used right here in America. Our nation’s great corn growers are critical to helping the U.S. achieve energy independence which is essential to national security,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “I thank Administrator Zeldin for moving quickly to implement this emergency fuel waiver and his continued commitment to U.S. famers and the U.S. biofuels industry. At USDA we look forward to our continued partnership with EPA and are working diligently to increase our energy dominance in the U.S. and abroad by expanding market access for American biofuels on the world stage.” 

Both of the nation's largest general farm organizations have offered thumbs up on the decision- Click here for the comments from Zippy Duvall at AFBF and click here for the comments from Rob Larew of the NFU.

In the face of mounting challenges, 40 leaders from across the livestock industry convened at the Common Ground Summit April 21-23 at Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel. Their shared mission: to safeguard rural communities, ensure America’s food independence and preserve a way of life central to the nation’s agricultural heritage. The effort was organized by the Livestock Marketing Association.

Years of bridge-building culminated in this pivotal event, marking what participants described as a breakthrough for industry-wide collaboration.

Through intensive dialogue, participants reached consensus on six critical areas for action:



1. Ag-Friendly Tax Policy – Extend and enhance key provisions like transfer tax exemptions, step-up in basis, and accelerated depreciation to support agricultural families.
2. Risk Management Tools – Improve programs like Livestock Risk Protection to better serve producers.
3. Access to Labor – Streamline and expand H-2 programs to address labor shortages.
4. Flexibility for Livestock Haulers – Exempt livestock haulers from restrictive Hours-of-Service rules and the electronic logging device mandate.
5. Support for Young and Emerging Producers – Expand USDA loan programs, incentivize land transfers to younger producers, and foster interest in agricultural careers.
6. Innovation and Sustainability – Champion technologies and programs that enhance livestock production efficiency and sustainability.

Highlights from the First 100 Days at USDA Under Secretary Rollins

In the first 100 days of the Trump Administration, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has affirmed the bold leadership of President Donald J. Trump by supporting America First Policies. At her direction, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has worked to support American farmers and ranchers on the southern border, hold Mexico accountable to the agreements they’ve made with the United States, and ensure illegal immigrants do not receive federal benefits.   

“President Trump has reversed the status quo on immigration policy. He is fighting to secure the border and hold countries like Mexico accountable for years of mistreatment against the United States. Farmers and ranchers along the southern border have been on the frontlines of Mexico’s unfair policies, and at USDA, I have been at the negotiating table tirelessly advocating for American agriculture. I am putting Farmers First—not illegal immigrants,” said Secretary Rollins.   

Over the weekend, Secretary Rollins sent a letter to her counterpart in Mexico demanding Mexico eliminate impediments on aircraft operations and landings that are critically impairing the U.S. response to combat the ongoing spread of the New World Screwworm across Mexico, thereby preventing it from entering the United States. In addition, Secretary Rollins continues to negotiate Mexico’s compliance with the 1944 Water Treaty for which they have fallen woefully short of their water delivery commitments. As part of that, Secretary Rollins announced a $280 million grant agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to provide critical economic relief to eligible Rio Grande Valley farmers and producers suffering from Mexico’s ongoing failure to meet its water delivery obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty.